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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) in Movies
Sep 12, 2020
I have a soft spot for The Babysitter. It's a little middle of the road and has some flaws but it's fun, it's gory, and just a good time.
The sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, is pretty much more of the same, albeit with a few more issues that render it inferior to it's predecessor.
The main problem is the absence of Samara Weaving. Her screentime in this probably totals around the 5 minute mark.
Judah Lewis returns as Cole, and takes the lead this time around. He's a decent enough lead for sure, but the chemistry between him and Weaving is what made the first movie stand out.
Elsewhere, some hastily explained exposition explains the return of the other members of the cult that were all offed in the first one, and it's a little hit and miss. Robbie Amell is pretty entertaining once again, but the screenplay doubles down on constant jokes, to the point where a lot of them don't land, and it feels like each character is just trying to out-edge the others with their edginess, and relentless pop culture references.
Another issue I found was the increase in role for Cole's Dad, played by Ken Marino. I tend to like him in most things he's in but he's given too much screentime this time around, and it doesn't take long for his character to wear thin. Same goes for Chris Wylde's character.
Apart from all that though, it's still fun to a degree. There's plenty of gore on display - a mix of so so CGI and practical effects by the looks of it - and it's suitably over the top. It pushes this sequel into more schlocky territory than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing and the two likable protagonists (Judah Lewis and Jenna Ortega) ensure that it's still a watchable comedy horror, even if it does have a gaping Samara Weaving shaped hole.
The sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, is pretty much more of the same, albeit with a few more issues that render it inferior to it's predecessor.
The main problem is the absence of Samara Weaving. Her screentime in this probably totals around the 5 minute mark.
Judah Lewis returns as Cole, and takes the lead this time around. He's a decent enough lead for sure, but the chemistry between him and Weaving is what made the first movie stand out.
Elsewhere, some hastily explained exposition explains the return of the other members of the cult that were all offed in the first one, and it's a little hit and miss. Robbie Amell is pretty entertaining once again, but the screenplay doubles down on constant jokes, to the point where a lot of them don't land, and it feels like each character is just trying to out-edge the others with their edginess, and relentless pop culture references.
Another issue I found was the increase in role for Cole's Dad, played by Ken Marino. I tend to like him in most things he's in but he's given too much screentime this time around, and it doesn't take long for his character to wear thin. Same goes for Chris Wylde's character.
Apart from all that though, it's still fun to a degree. There's plenty of gore on display - a mix of so so CGI and practical effects by the looks of it - and it's suitably over the top. It pushes this sequel into more schlocky territory than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing and the two likable protagonists (Judah Lewis and Jenna Ortega) ensure that it's still a watchable comedy horror, even if it does have a gaping Samara Weaving shaped hole.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) in Movies
Oct 15, 2020
This first sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger is everything a sequel should be. It has bigger and better set pieces, it has a bigger emotional centre, it brings in already established MCU characters and introduces new ones, and is arguably one of the best entries into the MCU to date.
Chris Evans does nothing more than tighten his grip around his most famous role. He joins Robert Downey Jr. in the category of irreplaceable actors for these characters.
Scarlett Johansson is once again great as Black Widow, and newcomer Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon provides Cap with a likeable new ally. The three of them as a sort of mini Avengers in this movie are fantastic.
Sebastian Stan plays The Winter Soldier with aplomb, and gives us a truly dangerous antagonist. The dude is fucking terrifying, yet his relationship with Steve Rogers gives us the heart of this movie. It's a tragic story which of course will be further explored in Civil War further down the line.
The cast is rounded off with Samuel L. Jackson returning as Nick Fury, Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, and some smaller roles for Cobie Smulders and Hayley Atwell.
It's a really solid cast all in all, an area that Marvel Studios rarely missteps.
The set pieces are hugely high octane and thrilling. The opening scene on the barge is a highlight, as well as the teams fight with the Winter Soldier midway through. Even Nick Fury gets a banger of an action sequence. Also, this film boasts probably the biggest plot twist gut punch in the whole MCU with the SHIELD/Hydra reveal. It's an extremely well crafted, ballsy narrative that impacts the shape of the MCU going forward.
There's honestly nothing bad to say about this one. It's top tier comic book cinema.
Chris Evans does nothing more than tighten his grip around his most famous role. He joins Robert Downey Jr. in the category of irreplaceable actors for these characters.
Scarlett Johansson is once again great as Black Widow, and newcomer Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon provides Cap with a likeable new ally. The three of them as a sort of mini Avengers in this movie are fantastic.
Sebastian Stan plays The Winter Soldier with aplomb, and gives us a truly dangerous antagonist. The dude is fucking terrifying, yet his relationship with Steve Rogers gives us the heart of this movie. It's a tragic story which of course will be further explored in Civil War further down the line.
The cast is rounded off with Samuel L. Jackson returning as Nick Fury, Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, and some smaller roles for Cobie Smulders and Hayley Atwell.
It's a really solid cast all in all, an area that Marvel Studios rarely missteps.
The set pieces are hugely high octane and thrilling. The opening scene on the barge is a highlight, as well as the teams fight with the Winter Soldier midway through. Even Nick Fury gets a banger of an action sequence. Also, this film boasts probably the biggest plot twist gut punch in the whole MCU with the SHIELD/Hydra reveal. It's an extremely well crafted, ballsy narrative that impacts the shape of the MCU going forward.
There's honestly nothing bad to say about this one. It's top tier comic book cinema.
DrawRace 2 HD
Games and Entertainment
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***** AWARDED as BEST SPORTS/DRIVING GAME OF 2012 by the POCKETGAMER ***** NOMINATED for...
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated The Godfather: Part II (1974) in Movies
Jan 14, 2018
Best sequel ever made
Take what you know know about sequels and throw it away. A rareity happens in this film when the second movie is better than it's orginal and that is hard to do when the first movie is one of the best movies ever.
The continuation of the Corleone family out in vegas trying to set their family up for ever. We also get a glimpse of the life of Vito Corleone when he first came to this country. The tie ins of these two stories make this one of the most studied sequels of all time. We see the now older Michael as head of the family and the young Vito getting his feet together. It is kind of like watching MIchael follow in Vito's steps the whole way through. Of course there is tradgey with family involved especially in betrayal and the loss of close friends. A must see
They do make a third to close out the story but eh
The continuation of the Corleone family out in vegas trying to set their family up for ever. We also get a glimpse of the life of Vito Corleone when he first came to this country. The tie ins of these two stories make this one of the most studied sequels of all time. We see the now older Michael as head of the family and the young Vito getting his feet together. It is kind of like watching MIchael follow in Vito's steps the whole way through. Of course there is tradgey with family involved especially in betrayal and the loss of close friends. A must see
They do make a third to close out the story but eh
Chelsea (449 KP) rated Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in Books
Sep 7, 2017
This book was not what I expected it to be, but I don't think that makes it deserve the many negative reviews.
This book is not a "horror" book, with the exception of the "evil" characters who created the reasons for the plot to go where it went. It IS a weird book. I love weird, or should I say "peculiar".
The best thing about the book (and why so many thought it was different than what it was) is that the story was written completely around these found vintage, sometimes creepy, photographs. None of the images were altered with "modern" photoshop, but no one actually knows the real stories behind them or how much they were actually a trick of the camera.
This is Young Adult and so a fairly quick read, but it's also a different kind of fantasy story that is worth the read. Beware, however, the ending does NOT allow you to leave this book without needing to read the sequel.
This book is not a "horror" book, with the exception of the "evil" characters who created the reasons for the plot to go where it went. It IS a weird book. I love weird, or should I say "peculiar".
The best thing about the book (and why so many thought it was different than what it was) is that the story was written completely around these found vintage, sometimes creepy, photographs. None of the images were altered with "modern" photoshop, but no one actually knows the real stories behind them or how much they were actually a trick of the camera.
This is Young Adult and so a fairly quick read, but it's also a different kind of fantasy story that is worth the read. Beware, however, the ending does NOT allow you to leave this book without needing to read the sequel.
SummerLGrant (185 KP) rated The Dark Tower (2017) in Movies
Sep 10, 2017
Average
Hollywood seems to be going for a Stephen King binge at the moment, and this one isn't great. I haven't yet read the books and even though this doesn't do anything to promote them it hasn't put me off.
There was so much potential for this film to be amazing but it felt so rushed, as if they weren't confident it would be good enough to get a sequel so they crammed as much as they could to get the story properly resolved (like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children). None of the characters developed beyond your initial impression of them, almost as if that was all sacrificed at the expense of fitting too much into the film. I'm sure there were also little details about the world that would have made it much more interesting, if the few bits that made the final cut were any indication.
An easy film to watch that doesn't ask you to engage your brain but very disappointing.
There was so much potential for this film to be amazing but it felt so rushed, as if they weren't confident it would be good enough to get a sequel so they crammed as much as they could to get the story properly resolved (like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children). None of the characters developed beyond your initial impression of them, almost as if that was all sacrificed at the expense of fitting too much into the film. I'm sure there were also little details about the world that would have made it much more interesting, if the few bits that made the final cut were any indication.
An easy film to watch that doesn't ask you to engage your brain but very disappointing.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Ghostbusters (2016) in Movies
Aug 13, 2017
Effects (3 more)
Chris Hemsworth
Cameos
Plot
Melissa McCarthy & Kristen Wiig (1 more)
Character stereotypes
Better than expected
I'm really not a fan of Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, and I was completely against any sort of remake or sequel to the fantastic original, but with this I was pleasantly surprised.
I still didn't like McCarthy and Wiig although I'll admit they weren't as grating as usual. The character of Patty was so stereotypical too which just became very irritating. A lot of the humour too wasn't really my cup of tea but I can't say I'm surprised.
That said, I loved Chris Hemsworth's character and Holtzmann too, and they raised some of the few laughs I got from this film. The effects were brilliant and the plot itself was fairly well thought out. And I loved the cameos from the old Ghostbusters. Not great or a patch on the original, but nowhere near as bad as I'd anticipated.
I still didn't like McCarthy and Wiig although I'll admit they weren't as grating as usual. The character of Patty was so stereotypical too which just became very irritating. A lot of the humour too wasn't really my cup of tea but I can't say I'm surprised.
That said, I loved Chris Hemsworth's character and Holtzmann too, and they raised some of the few laughs I got from this film. The effects were brilliant and the plot itself was fairly well thought out. And I loved the cameos from the old Ghostbusters. Not great or a patch on the original, but nowhere near as bad as I'd anticipated.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019 (Updated Feb 18, 2019)
This movie was on the borderline between good and just ok, I rounded up. I was irritated because the theater where I have the subscription with was only showing the film in 3D. I'm not a huge 3D fan, and don't think anything is really added by it.
I know James Cameron was supposed to be the main draw, but I think he's pompous, and Avatar is not a good movie (IMO/it's lame and a snore). I was there mainly for Robert Rodriguez, he's a BFD here.
Essentially, it's Ghost in the Shell with a different story around it. I loved the fight/actions scenes, I was riveted by those. But, everything around it was kind of lame with bad dialogue and an unnecessary love story.
I also hated that it left on a cliffhanger. The movie drastically under-performed, leading to the worst Presidents' Day box office in the US since 2004. Likelihood of a sequel? Slim to none.
I know James Cameron was supposed to be the main draw, but I think he's pompous, and Avatar is not a good movie (IMO/it's lame and a snore). I was there mainly for Robert Rodriguez, he's a BFD here.
Essentially, it's Ghost in the Shell with a different story around it. I loved the fight/actions scenes, I was riveted by those. But, everything around it was kind of lame with bad dialogue and an unnecessary love story.
I also hated that it left on a cliffhanger. The movie drastically under-performed, leading to the worst Presidents' Day box office in the US since 2004. Likelihood of a sequel? Slim to none.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Tarzan and His Mate (1934) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
This is the one. Notorious for it nude swimming scene and Jane’s revealing two piece number, this is the one which pushes the freedom of studios to breaking point and helped usher the Heyes code as it would be weaved into the fabric of American films for decades to come.
But this aside, this is a genuinely good sequel. More intense than the first, though as many of these films will, literally recycle action scenes from the first, the characters are developing, the story feels like it is progressing quite naturally from its predecessor and the tone is as erotic as it promises.
The kinky and untempered behavior of our leads is what the film is promising, an takes on life in the steamy jungle, away from the trappings of western life, certainly in the midst of the then, “Great Depression”. But this was where it was going to end as the studios wings were about to be clipped…
But this aside, this is a genuinely good sequel. More intense than the first, though as many of these films will, literally recycle action scenes from the first, the characters are developing, the story feels like it is progressing quite naturally from its predecessor and the tone is as erotic as it promises.
The kinky and untempered behavior of our leads is what the film is promising, an takes on life in the steamy jungle, away from the trappings of western life, certainly in the midst of the then, “Great Depression”. But this was where it was going to end as the studios wings were about to be clipped…
BTPBookclub (18 KP) rated Caraval in Books
May 14, 2019
Outstanding. Brilliant.
Wow. One, why haven’t I read this book sooner? Two, I cannot believe this is her debut novel at all, I could not tell it was that brilliant. Very impressed. I love the cover of this story too, magical. I also loved how the story was told through short chapters, including letters and clues. Made it an easy, fast paced read I didn’t want to finish.
I cannot wait to see what lies ahead in the sequel (Legendary). I can honestly say I have not read anything similar to this story before and I absolutely loved it! I awarded a well deserved five stars and already know it is going to be in my top 20 of 2018. A must buy and read from me. I would love to see this book turned into a film. It will mess with the readers head in parts but remember… It’s only a game
I cannot wait to see what lies ahead in the sequel (Legendary). I can honestly say I have not read anything similar to this story before and I absolutely loved it! I awarded a well deserved five stars and already know it is going to be in my top 20 of 2018. A must buy and read from me. I would love to see this book turned into a film. It will mess with the readers head in parts but remember… It’s only a game